Forever

I don't feel ready to write out words to describe these two. I feel like no matter how many words I string together, they won't fully explain what these two mean to me. But I'm going to try.

I met Taylor in 2009, I was 14, teeth full of braces, sopping wet hair in our friend Steph's kitchen when we first met. That night Taylor shared a story from his childhood, and as I sat and listened to him share, choking through tears, I realized I had never known such vulnerability and honesty. Those are the words that I would use to describe Taylor- honest, and unafraid of vulnerability. Through the years he has fought for me in the ugliest situations, has cried with me through the hardest moments of my life, and has given me more laughter and joy than many people I know. Somehow, no matter how dumb, we always laugh at the same jokes. He sent me letters when I was stolen from everything I know and shipped off to North Carolina, he listened to my side of the story when I broke up with my boyfriend of 3 years and did not once judge me, he loved me well and often protected me through many many situations. And the fact that Ian and him have also become so close means the world to me. Taylor is my best friend, forever.

When Katie came into Taylor's life, it was recent after some tough heartache in his life. I remember calling up our friend Kayla, and her and I talking about our skepticism (mostly because we lived far away, and couldn't spend a lot of time with them together). We looked at photos and both commented on how beautiful she was. When I came back to Colorado and met Katie, it was hard at first. I'm an introvert. She's a writer who processes things in her head. We're both fiercely competitive. We had both heard stories about each other from Taylor and felt almost intimidated by how much he had talked the other up. But as I got to know her, I realized that beautiful described Katie in many more ways than one. She is radiant in everything that she does. Katie has been through her own fair share of heart break and hurt, but the way that she takes the world on with such confidence and force is admirable. She's gentle with Taylor when he needs gentleness, she is sassy when he deserves sass. She is much, much more than I could have ever dreamed up for my best friend. She is patient, a little bit messy, full of fire, unafraid to question things, and has the words of a poet well beyond her years.

When Taylor first told me that he was going to propose, I immediately cried. I am so fucking proud of the growth I have seen in these two in the past year. They've fought many times, made up many times, and through it all- have been open, vulnerable, and walking with others in their life together. I'm so fucking happy. It is going to be an incredible honor to stand with them and celebrate the beginning of forever. I love you both so much, and I'm so happy we all get to be sad boys together forever.